Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to provide an update on the matter. As the Senator knows, this Government is committed to empowering people with a disability to live independent lives and giving them the ability to choose the supports that most meet their needs where possible. This ensures that people with a disability can make a real, tangible difference in their lives.

Reflecting the strength of this Government's commitment in this area, significant additional funding was provided in the 2021 and 2022 budgets for disability developments, which will see the budget for specialist disability services exceeding €2.3 billion. This includes provision of more investment in residential support services and supports, which enable the HSE to increase residential capacity in a planned way; continue providing crisis residential placements; continue the decongregation programme; and provide more intensive support packages to enable those with complex needs to remain at home with their families.

The HSE is currently supporting in the region of 8,100 residential places across the country for people with a disability. Residential services make up the largest part of the disability funding dispersed by the HSE, at more than 60% of the total budget of the €2.2 billion in 2021.

For the House's information, the HSE disability services use a system called the disability support application management tool, DSMAT, which enables the community healthcare organisation, CHO, areas to record and manage requests for support to ensure that the application process is equitable and transparent. It is important to note that the DSMAT is not a chronological waiting list. Rather, it supports and informs the CHO's decision-making process around prioritisation of services within appropriate budgets. The aim is to ensure that services are allocated on the basis of greatest presenting need and associated risk factors.

Specifically relating to the mid-west, or CHO 3 area, I am advised by the HSE that there are two children on the priority waiting list for approval for business cases for residential placements, and that two children have been approved for residential placement and are awaiting placements to commence.

The HSE acknowledges that demographic challenges associated with the increase in the number of people living with a disability, the increase in age and life expectancy and the changing needs of people with a disability have all led to the need for increased residential facilities. In this regard, the HSE continues to work with agencies to explore various ways of responding to this need. To the end of November 2021, the HSE delivered 77 emergency residential placements, which is 33 places in excess of the number profiled for the year.

The national service plan, NSP, 2022 will soon be finalised. I would hope, when the HSE service plan is finalised, that those two children, who are at the top of that list, will be supported and the needs of the child and family will be met. I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of the management team and the staff in St. Gabriel's and the local community in the development of that project.

I was working with the good Senator and other elected representatives in the mid-west and we were able to identify and source the funding to the respite piece of it. On first allocation, it was €5 million over seven years, and now we have gone to €7 million over seven years. That €7 million over seven years will come, hopefully, when the NSP is published. Perhaps that will give the family a little bit extra respite while the house is being sourced and built and while the allied support care for putting in place a residential solution is pursued.

The most important thing is the communication between the HSE and that family; the reassurance that they are one of the two. I think that is what the Senator really wants to know. While we do not talk about individual cases, having had dealings with Maurice throughout the past two years, I have no doubt that Maurice will engage with the Senator and the family to ensure there is a pathway to support this young individual and that family to meeting their residential expectations in the area.